Sharks show tactical growth despite draw with Dragons ahead of URC tour finale

While the Sharks were only able to grab a share of the spoils in the 17-17 draw with Dragons in the swirling wind and heavy rain at Rodney Parade on Friday night, the performance was a vast improvement on their Glasgow Warriors clash and showed that they are on the up ahead of Friday’s final leg of their United Rugby Championship tour.

The tactical improvements were particularly noticeable among the forwards, who had struggled to fend off a Warriors onslaught in the closing stages of their opening-round defeat in Wales.

Coach John Plumtree will no doubt have been pleased by the way they turned things around in the driving rain, with the front row of Simphiwe Matanzima, Fez Mbatha and Ruan Dreyer dominating the scrums all night, backed by the powerful second-row pairing of Marvin Orie and Deon Slabbert.

The only regret for the Sharks coach was their inability to convert that dominance into maximum points. Lock Orie was one of the Sharks’ standout players, powering over for an early try and more than making amends for his costly yellow card against Glasgow.

There was also a noticeable all-round improvement in defensive organisation and resilience from the Durban outfit. Players like Mpilo Gumede and captain Vincent Tshituka contributed significantly at the breakdown and in defensive structures, containing the Dragons’ attacking threats.

Flyhalf Jean Smith’s tactical kicking was instrumental in gaining territory and applying pressure. His strategic kicks into space found touch deep in the opposition’s half, allowing the Sharks to dictate the game’s tempo and maintain territorial advantage.

With Jaden Hendrikse restored to scrum-half, the Sharks’ backline had a much better feel, though Edwill van der Merwe struggled at fullback after switching from the wing in the continued absence of Aphelele Fassi.

he conditions did not help, but he was much more solid in the second half.

The task does not get any easier for the Sharks in their final match of the tour against defending champions Leinster on Saturday. Yet, they will travel to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on an upward trajectory, confident that they can return to Durban with their first win of the season.